1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airtight elastic cap of an ink-jet recording head used in an ink-jet printer or the like. Also, the present invention relates to a storage container for temporarily storing the ink-jet recording head removed from the ink-jet recording printer. Moreover, the present invention relates to an ink-jet recording apparatus having the airtight elastic cap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
According to a known prior art method, by pressing a recording head against an airtight cap by a predetermined amount, ribs provided on a cap face are brought into intimate contact with a nozzle face to obtain airtightness between the nozzle face and the cap face, and prevent the nozzle face from drying. However, there has been a problem in conventional caps in that high airtightness might make air within the caps susceptible to changes in temperature and air pressure, with the result that, when a head is mounted or dismounted, or when a storage environment changes suddenly, air pressure within the caps might change and ink within a nozzle might flow into the caps. To solve this problem, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 5-57906, a method is disclosed for avoiding changes in air pressure by providing elasticity for a cap. However, this method has had a problem in that springs and other parts are required to provide elasticity for the cap, making its structure complicated and increasing the number of parts. On the other hand, in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. Hei 8-244249, a method is disclosed for avoiding changes in air pressure by providing a cap body with air communication holes to establish communication between a space within the cap and the air. In this case, there is a problem in that, since airtightness between a nozzle face and a cap body cannot be obtained and the nozzle face contacts the air, the nozzle face is liable to get dry. Although, to solve these problems, it is conceivable to increase a space capacity within an airtight cap to such an extent that ink leak does not occur regardless of the above-described changes in air pressure, the mere increase of the space capacity within the cap might decrease the stiffness of the cap itself and reduce cap airtightness.
The present invention provides an airtight elastic cap of an ink-jet recording head that provides high airtightness between a nozzle face and the airtight cap and minimizes ink leak from the recording head even when the head is mounted or dismounted, or when a storage environment changes suddenly, a storage container of the ink-jet recording head employing the airtight elastic cap, and an ink-jet recording apparatus equipped with the airtight elastic cap.
According to an aspect of the present invention, an airtight elastic cap of an ink-jet recording head includes a body, and an inside wall provided inside of the body. A portion of the wall defines a first space and another portion of the wall defines a second space positioned continuously to a center of the first space.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a storage container of an ink-jet recording head includes a container body that houses the ink-jet recording head, and an airtight elastic cap, placed within the container body, that abuts against and protects an ink emission face of the ink-jet recording head while the ink-jet recording is housed. The airtight elastic cap includes a cap body and an inside wall provided inside of the cap body. A portion of the wall defines a first space and another portion of the wall defines a second space positioned continuously to a center of the first space.
When the ink emission face of the ink-jet recording head abuts against the airtight elastic cap, the ink emission face is protected in airtightness state by a space formed between the ink emission face of the recording head and a wall of the airtight elastic cap body. Since the space part is formed by two space parts, ink leak from a nozzle of the recording head is prevented regardless of changes in air pressure in the space part when the recording head is dismounted, or when air pressure or temperature changes, and the stiffness of the airtight elastic cap body is maintained. Disposing the airtight elastic cap within the storage container facilitates the positioning of the ink emission face of the recording head and the airtight elastic cap when the recording head is stored.